


Joe's letter

by schrijverr



Series: Being Home [2]
Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, Soft Boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23687863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schrijverr/pseuds/schrijverr
Summary: Takes place after the events of Returning Home. Here Tom recieved a letter back from Joe about his life and answering his questions about Will. They talk about it and cuddle.
Relationships: Tom Blake/William Schofield
Series: Being Home [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705828
Comments: 11
Kudos: 55





	Joe's letter

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write this and after all the angst of the first part I figured I could continue the work with some well deserved fuff.  
> It annoyed me that there were some i left undotted, so I might continue in this universe and make all my children happy, because I will not stand for the cannon ending!

Will had been working in the bookshop for a week now and Tom was getting back into the flow of working on the fields when the letter from Joe arrived. Mrs. Blake was so happy that she baked a pie to celebrate it. There were two letters in the envelope, one for Mrs. Blake and for Tom. Tom took his letter eagerly and quickly sat down to read it.

_June 11th 1917_  
_Dear little squirt,_

_Why do you have to make me hungry with your talks of cherry pie? The food is becoming more horrible by the day and I wish I could eat mums pie again soon._  
_But it was really nice to hear from you again and I could really use your words of encouragement. Also, tell Myrtle that I miss her dearly and sneak her an extra treat from me. It’s good to know she is still the same old doofus._  
_London wasn’t what you dreamed it would be? Sad that your trip was cut short and that you couldn’t enjoy it, but only you could go to see the city and return with more than double the people you left with. Although you better not forget about me! (or let them touch my stuff, please, you know how I feel about that)_  
_It’s good to hear that my old bed is still useful after all your complaining about the space it took up. I also hope you managed to find a job by the time you get this, and Will as well of course. Send him the best from me. As for your question about the state he was in, I don’t know if it’s my place to tell you, but you seem really worried about him, so I hope he doesn’t mind too much._  
_When he got here, he nearly collapsed from either exhaustion, lack of nutrition or both. He hadn’t eaten in nearly a day or slept for that matter, but he tried to comfort me by saying that he had passed out for a few hours, so that technically that was sleep. This worried me greatly, because he had been passed out after a head wound, which was still bleeding by the time he arrived. He was also soaked to the bone and was breathing uneasily, we later learned he had a cracked rib, but nothing too serious. He had also lost his kit, rifle and helmet, but he wouldn’t share how he lost it, so we just gave him new ones. Hopefully helps this and Will doesn’t hate me too much now, because it sounds like he lives with us and I would hate it if my new housemate hated me._  
_I am thankful that he isn’t bothered too much about the article, but how horrid that he lost his arm. He didn’t deserve that after saving everyone here. I might ask him when I see him, but he probably could use some peace._  
_You are also correct about how the vulgar the stories are. I heard from Jameson that he Major was caught in the woods with his dick in a tree, but that’s not even the worse. Apparently the chap who found him only did because he knew the hole in the tree because he used it as well! In the end nearly five guys were using it without knowing it, it was hilarious to see them each lose colour in the face when the story was told and they realized it was their hole as well. This is indeed not something I’d tell mum, but I thought you might appreciate it._  
_Anyway, that’s all the time and paper I have for now. Write me back, I miss your annoying chatter (which is a terrifying thought). Don’t irritate our guest into leaving, I would like to be able to meet them and see Will again in a better setting than with the message of your death._

_Love,_  
_Your older and wiser brother,_  
_Joe_

When he was done he rolled his eyes at his brothers ending, then went up to scan the part about Will again. The head wound was from the sniper and the wetness was the river, but he couldn’t place the rest. He didn’t know how one could loose all their gear in a few hours and the cracked ribs were also a concern, mostly because the dumbass of a man, whom he loved despite the dumbass levels, had returned to the fight immediately after. Across from him, Will met his eyes and smiled, so Tom decided that his questions could wait until later. For now he was busy with making sure his mum didn’t get a hold of his letter and read about the fuck-tree, as he was calling it in his head. He tried to appease her with a small summary and when she found it didn’t differ too far from her own letter she let him be.

That night, he and Will laid side by on their bed, looking at the ceiling. Neither of them wanted to fall asleep just yet. There was a calm and comfortable blanket of contentedness lying over them. When Will didn’t drop off with the quiet air, Tom decided it was safe to open the topic of the letter. He began with retelling the fuck-tree story, getting a small snort out of the warm presence next to him, then he quietly said: “He also answered my curiosity about you.” Will swallowed, “Why didn’t you tell me it was that bad?”

Will met his eyes and confessed: “I didn’t want to worry you.”

A surge of warmth went through Tom and he smiled at Will, eyes full of adoration. He let a hand softly trail over Wills cheek and said: “Don’t ever worry about that, okay? I will gladly worry about you, no complaint. Just, just tell me if something is wrong, you don’t have to hide. Not here and not from me. I will never think less of you.”

Will nodded and said: “I promise. I promise, but only if you promise the same.”

Tom couldn’t contain the smile lighting up his face and the sparkles in his eyes, not even if he wanted to, which he absolutely didn’t. He loved Will and Will was allowed to know that. He held up his pinky and said: “I promise.”

Will quietly laughed at the childish gesture, but he interlocked their pinkies anyway. Then he nonchalantly commented: “You know, it’s illegal to break a pinky-promise.”

Tom raised his brows and teasingly asked: “Really?”

Playing complete seriousness Will nodded and replied: “Really, if you break it, I will have to punish you with death by tickles.”

Tom giggled and Will couldn’t keep up the facade, cracking and laughing too. After a while of just existing in their bubble of laughter and happiness, Tom asked: “How did you crack your ribs?”

Will glanced at him and shrugged: “There was a rock in the river, it flowed very fast, because of the waterfall further downstream. I hit the rock then went down the waterfall. I don’t know which of the two cracked my ribs or if it was the combination.”

Tom gasped and said: “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Will blushed and said: “Because then I would have to tell you what convinced me to climb out after all that and back then I didn’t want to give away how much you meant to me, afraid of loosing you.”

“Can you tell me now?” Tom asked intrigued. 

Blushing more heavily Will said: “I was clinging to a branch and contemplating if I should just let the river take me away. I thought you were dead and the it was already dawn, I was convinced I was too late and I wanted to give up. Then I saw petals floating in the water,” he elaborated, “cherry blossom petals. I thought of you and your drive to finish the mission and save your brother. I remembered the promise I made to you.” he took a deep breath and confessed: “My love for you convinced me to go on.”

Tom could feel the swelling of his heart start to translate into tears, so he just grabbed Wills shoulders and dragged him into the tightest hug he could manage as he chocked out: “You are the most perfect person ever and I love you so so so much.”

Will buried his head closer into the crook of Toms neck and clung close to the other man. And that is how they fell asleep, clinging tight to each other and glad both of them had made it. Glad that Will climbed out the river, glad that Tom had shouted for help, glad that neither of them gave up, so that they were able to cling to each other now.

Later Tom would learn how Will lost his gear piece by piece as he gave more parts of himself to complete the mission. How his helmet became useless, how food became more useful to someone else, how his rifle was lost in a fight to the death and how his kit weighted him down in the turmoiling river. But that was later.

Because they had a later, they had the rest of their lives to ask all the questions and get to know each other. They could afford to be quiet now, they had the time.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it. If you left any Kudos or Comment, I owe you my life and you may summon me when needed.
> 
> If you want to pop over to my tumblr (it's also @schrijverr), where you can also find this work, you can. Hopefully you come and say hi.
> 
> Also it's my headcanon that Joe is that fond but asshole older brother


End file.
